Fireproof blind or door.



Patented Dec. '6, I902.

m. 7mm.

W. B. KINNEAR.

FIREPROOF BLIND 0R DOOR.

(Application filed Jan. 13, 1902.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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f 0 m m m e D d e t n e t a P n A E N N K n w w m 7 0 N FIREPROOF BLIND0B DOOR.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1902.)

3 S eets-sheet. 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOH f ATTOHNE Y m: NORRIS PETERS co. vnoY0-L|m0., WASHWGTDN. ufc.

Patented Dec. I6, 1902.

W. R. KINNEAR. FIREPBOUF BLIND 0R DOOR.

(Application filed Jan. 13, 1902.)

3' Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM RAYMOND KINNEAR, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

FIREPROOF BLIND OR DOOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 715,816, dated December16 1902. Application filed January 13, 1902. Serial No. 89,460. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.- 1

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RAYMOND KIN- NEAR, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FireproofBlinds or Doors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention, relating generally to fireproof rolling curtains forwindows or doors,

pertains more particularly to such as are constructed of metallic slatsand are kept normally rolled up,but are auto maticallydropped to closethe opening upon the occurrence of imminent fire.

The objects of the invention are twofold: first, to provide aconstruction of support for the curtain-roller, whereby when the curtainis unwound the window or door opening is completely closed at the top,and, second, to provide a construction of channel or runway that willpermit ready ingress or egress of persons to or from the building afterthe curtain has dropped.

The nature of the invention is disclosed in the following descriptionand claims.

In the accompanying drawings, showing an embodiment of the invention,Figure l is a central vertical sectional view of the end casings orsupports for the curtain-roller, the latter being broken out at themiddle; Fig. 2, an end view of a curtain rolled up on a roller and readyto drop upon the meltingof a fusible device that holds the curtain inits rolled-up state. Fig. 3 isa View, on a larger scale, looking towardthe inner side of an end casing, showing the position of the roller whenthe curtain is unrolled. Fig. 4 is a View of the outer side of an endcasing, a portion being broken out to show the construction of theshaft-holding device. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View throughawindow-casing, showinga portion of the device for holding the lowerpart of the curtain channels or runways. Fig. dis a front viewof thelower or hinged portion of one of the curtain-channels. Fig. 7 isa viewofthe inner side of the same. Fig. 8 is a view, on a slightly-largerscale, of

the outer side of one of the lower or hinged portions of the channels'orrunways.

The curtain-roller in theinstance shown is a spring-roller, becausemetallic curtains are fairly heavy, and it is important that theirviolent descent be prevented; otherwise injury might be done to thecurtain and its containing structure. Where the roller is of the springkind, its shaft will be held from rotation with the revolution of thedrum. The said shaft 1 of the roller is supported in elongated bearingedges 2 in end casings 2, said bearing edges being inclined slightlytoward the Window or door opening, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, sothat when the curtain has unrolled to the lower ends of the channels theroller itself or the roller and curtain shall slide laterally toward thewindow or door opening and close the opening at the top, as indicated inFig. 3. If the shaft of the roller were fixed in fixed hearings in theend casings, as has heretofore been customary, a gap would remainbetween the roller and the top of the window casing, affording "accessof flames of a proximate fire. Where a springrolleris employed and theouter drum revolves around the shaft under tension of aspringconnectingthe drum and shaft, the latter should be held from rotary movement, sothat the spring can perform its function. To hold the shaft stationary,I place fixedly upon each of its ends an arm 3, extending at rightangles therefrom, the arm being shown to be secured by means ofaset-screw 3 passed through the end of the arm and pinched tightlyagainst a flat portion 1, made on the end of the shaft. The arms 3 liein a sort of guiding-pocket 2", preferably hooded, formed in the endcasings 2, the walls of which prevent the rotation of the shaft withoutinterfering with its lateral movement back and forth in the end casing.As the curtain is rolled up its unwound portion remains against or inclose proximity to the top of the window-frame,the winding shaft or drumgradually moving laterally toward the dotted-line position indicated inFigs. 3 and at as the said winding shaft or drum is filled with thecurtain.

Curtains of the kind especially shown in the accompanying drawings are,as before indicated, normally held up by a fusible link 4 subtending thelower bar or edge of the curtain, as seen in Fig. 2, so that upon adangerous rise of temperature the link melts and allows the curtain todrop by gravity, the spring serving to prevent a too violent descent ofthe curtain. Incidentally the spring also serves to aid in restoring thecurtain to its rolled-up state after the fire is extinguished. As suchcurtains will drop promptly, it is important if the fire happens tooccur in the building containing the curtains that persons in suchbuilding shall have a way out through the window when the curtains havedropped if the other avenues of escape be impracticable. To provide forthis, the lower portions 5 of the channels are made movable or arehinged, as indicated at 5, to the fixed parts (i, and I connect theparts 5 with the fixed parts 6 by means of a chain or wire 7, runningundera pulley 8, a spring 9 being shown to be included in connection, sothat the movable part 5 of the channel shall be held normally in linewith the fixed part 6. Pivoted at 10, near the hinge 5 and to themovable part 5 of each channel, is a weighted eccentric latch 10, thatdrops down when the lower end of the curtain and the channels are pushedor pulled out, as indicated in Fig. 8, the said latch wedging betweenthe wall and the channels to sustain the latter in their outwardextended position. The eccentric latch 10 supports the hinged sections 5in their outward or inclined position, because when the said sections 5are moved out the pivots 10 of the eccentrics are also moved outward andpermitted to fall on their pivots intoa position where a longer radiusof the eccentric is interposed between the wall of the building or ofthe windowframe, and so constitute a brace to hold the sections in suchoutward posion. Many automatically-operative braces could be devised toaccomplish this purpose.

YVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a metallic fire-resisting curtain and a rollertherefor, of laterally-elongated hearings or supports for said rollerand on which it is laterally movable.

2. In combination with a metallic fire-resisting curtain and a rollertherefor of laterally elongated and inclined bearings for said rollerand on which it is laterally movable.

3. In combination with a metallic fir'e-resisting curtain and aspring-roller therefor having a shaft, laterally-elongated hearings onwhich the shaft is laterally movable, and means preventing the rotationof said shaft on said bearings.

4:. In combination with a metallic fire-resisting curtain and aspring-roller therefor having a shaft, laterally elongated and inclinedbearings for said shaft and on which the same is laterally movable, andmeans for preventing the rotation of said shaft on said bearings.

5. In combination with a metallic fire-resisting curtain and aspring-roller therefor having a shaft, laterally-elongated bearings forsaid shaft and on which the same is laterally movable, a wall orshoulder adjacent said bearing and an arm secured on said shaft coactingwith the wall or shoulder to prevent the rotation thereof when thecurtain is unrolled.

6. Channels or runways for metallic fire-resisting curtains having theirlower ends movable to permit movement of the curtain therewith to forman outlet through the window or door opening.

7. Channels or runways for fire-resisting curtains having fixed portionsand lower portions hinged thereto adapted to be bent out of line withthe fixed portions and means normally tending to hold said hingedportions in line with the fixed portions.

8. Channels or runways for metallic fire-resisting curtains having fixedportions and lower hinged portions, and means for automatically securingsaid hinged portions when moved to stand at an angle to the fixedportion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM RAYMOND KINNEAR.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE M. FINGKEL, SAMUEL W. LATHAM.

